Greg Mendez is a singer-songwriter based in Philly. His latest record, Greg Mendez, is out now.
(Photo Credit: Veronica Mendez)
I loved the Sun Organ album, Candlelight Showertime. They’re friends of mine, actually — I’m good friends with Tim, who’s the main songwriter, guitarist, and singer. I’ve been into them for a really long time, and they live in Philly also.
I think this record is their best one yet. I mean, they’ve been doing it for a decade, or maybe more, but I feel like they really nailed it with this one. It’s the one I keep coming back to. Every song is good, and it feels very cohesive. I’m always drawn to the songs — the melodies, the hooks, and stuff. I feel like me and Tim have talked about this a lot. Like, we talk about NOFX a lot, which seems like it wouldn’t be a common thread if you listen to either of our music, but it just is very melody- and harmony- and chord-change-based. I feel like Sun Organ does that particularly on this record. And then there’s also really interesting textures and sounds and arrangements. Some of it is real heavy, and it’s all really beautiful. I feel like a lot of guitar-based music these days isn’t like this record — on this record, a lot of the hooks are guitar lines. And not shreddy stuff, but the things that get stuck in your head is a melody that’s in a guitar part. I think that’s really cool.
The last song, “Please Not Today,” is my favorite. It’s just got this feeling to it that I feel like I’m looking for a lot. It’s sad, and also mellow, and also has a really catchy melody, and the groove that they get into. This one is actually, I think, a collaboration with nyxy nyx and Greg Electric, who are two other Philly bands. I don’t know how many people are playing on the song or who’s doing what, but if I had to pick a favorite, that song would be it.
As told to Annie Fell.
(Photo Credit: left, Veronica Mendez)
